Flesh-Eating Bacteria Have Already Killed Four People in Florida This Year
The deadly bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, is typically found in warm saltwater or brackish water. It can enter the body through open cuts or by consuming raw shellfish, and the microbe is often found in oysters from warm coastal waters. Although infections are rare, the bacterium causes a disease called vibriosis, which is marked by gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, high heart rate, and disorientation.
In some cases, it can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a condition in which bacteria rapidly destroy muscle and tissue. According to the CDC, many people with Vibrio vulnificus infections require intensive care or even limb amputation.
Roughly one in five people who contract a Vibrio vulnificus infection die, and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Florida has reported 11 cases this year. Around 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus are reported to the CDC each year in the U.S., although experts believe the actual number may be higher.
Cases have been on the rise in recent years. In 2022 and 2024, deaths and infections spiked after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which washed saltwater inland. The department reported a record 19 deaths and 82 cases last year, an increase of seven deaths and nearly double the number of cases in 2023.
For Vibrio vulnificus, another bacteria in the Vibrio family (who are generally less deadly), temperature and salinity are key growth factors, conditions that are becoming more common due to climate change, according to a report in Scientific American. Rising global temperatures also mean that hurricanes will become more frequent and stronger. A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that climate change will increase the cost of Vibrio infections from $2.6 billion in 1995 to between $6.1 and $8.6 billion by 2090.
Worryingly, the microbes are extremely adaptable and can frequently acquire new traits. A 2023 study found that Vibrio pathogens are adapting to 'stick' to microplastics, for example.
Florida Health officials caution against entering warm saltwater or brackish water if any fresh cuts, scrapes, or wounds are present. Consuming raw shellfish is also not recommended, unfortunately.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: This Blue Chip Healthcare Stock Down 50% Could Double Your Money
Key Points Novo Nordisk's recent financial results and clinical progress haven't impressed Wall Street. However, the company can right the ship through innovation in its core specialty and elsewhere. The stock looks attractively valued at current levels and could beat the market over the next six years. 10 stocks we like better than Novo Nordisk › Investors looking to strike while the iron is hot can buy beaten-down stocks that appear to have excellent chances of bouncing back. And that describes shares of Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) very well. The pharmaceutical leader is down by 52% over the trailing-12-month period as of July 17, but initiating a position now could double investors' money in six years or so. Here's why this stock is a screaming buy at its current levels. Novo Nordisk's recent challenges Novo Nordisk focuses on developing diabetes treatments, an area where it has been a leader for many decades. As of February, it held a 33.3% market share for diabetes drugs. This sort of long-term dominance doesn't happen by accident. The company has consistently attracted top talent in the pharmaceutical industry, which, combined with its extensive experience in diabetes, has enabled it to break new ground repeatedly. Why, then, have the company's shares dropped by 52% over the past year? Because Novo Nordisk failed to impress the market with its financial results and clinical progress. The developments that led to the drugmaker's share plunge would have been excellent for almost any other pharmaceutical company, but investors held it to a higher standard given its rich valuation metrics. For instance, the company reported phase 3 results for CagriSema, an investigational weight management medicine, that proved it's more effective than its famous semaglutide (Wegovy), reducing patients' weight by an average of 22.7% in 68 weeks. However, management was looking for a 25% figure in the study. Very few anti-obesity therapies in development have achieved results comparable to CagriSema, but that was not enough to please investors. The good news: Novo Nordisk's pipeline in diabetes and the fast-growing area of weight management remains robust. The company has several promising candidates in development, including Amycretin, for which it recently initiated late-stage studies. And management has significantly expanded its pipeline through acquisitions. Even with mounting competition, the company should continue to be one of the leaders in its core areas of focus. It's been developing medicines in other fields as well, including various rare diseases (such as the blood disorders beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease), neurological disorders (including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), and others. Making progress in diabetes and obesity while diversifying its lineup should work wonders for Novo Nordisk down the line. The price is right Net sales in the first quarter grew by 19% year over year to 78.1 billion Danish krone ($12.1 billion). The company's net profit was up 14% year over year to $4.5 billion. These would be excellent results for most similarly sized drugmakers, yet Wall Street remains unimpressed. In my view, that has created a wonderful opportunity to buy shares on the dip. The company's forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) has declined significantly over the past year and now stands at 16.9, barely above the healthcare industry's 16.2 and lower than the S&P 500's 22.3. But given Novo Nordisk's still excellent position in its core markets of diabetes and obesity treatments -- the latter of which should grow rapidly in the coming years -- and the company's better-than-average revenue and earnings growth, its stock is arguably worth a steeper premium. In fact, the forward P/E is about as low as it has been in over two years. At current levels, shares look like a steal. Here is how things could evolve for the company in the next six years. First, it could make significant clinical and regulatory progress and launch at least one -- if not several -- blockbuster weight loss or diabetes medications. Second, the company should continue recording strong results, with revenue and earnings moving in the right direction. Lastly, it looks likely to continue increasing its dividend, which it has done significantly over the past half-decade. The stock needs a compound annual growth rate of 12.2% to double in the next six years. Novo Nordisk can pull it off, especially for those who opt to reinvest the dividend. Should you buy stock in Novo Nordisk right now? Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: This Blue Chip Healthcare Stock Down 50% Could Double Your Money was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Past the finish line: participants celebrate Tri for a Cure's record-breaking 18th year
The 2025 triathlon raised over $2.16 million for cancer treatment and research Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eating foods in this order could help with weight loss and blood sugar, experts say
The order in which you eat foods during meals may affect your health, according to some nutrition experts. The concept — known as "meal sequencing" — involves first eating fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables, followed by protein and then fats, before eating the carbohydrates on your plate. This orderly way of eating may help prevent blood sugar spikes, increase feelings of fullness and help with weight loss, according to nutrition experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. Popular 'Fibermaxxing' Diet Trend Not Right For Everyone, Nutritionist Says "Starting with vegetables, protein and healthy fats — before eating starches or sugary foods — may help blunt post-meal glucose spikes," Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian based in Dallas, Texas, told Fox News Digital. "This effect is particularly beneficial for people with insulin resistance, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes," said Susie, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Read On The Fox News App The expert noted, however, that people with diabetes should receive personalized guidance from a medical expert. Elevated blood sugar levels (known as hyperglycemia) after meals can increase an individual's risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a UCLA report. Controlling blood sugar levels can help benefit the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Experts Reveal 5-Step Approach To A Healthier Gut And Stronger Immunity Previous research published in the journal Nutrients found that patients who followed the meal sequencing method — eating vegetables before refined carbohydrates — showed a significant improvement in glycemic control and blood sugar after a five-year period, while the group that did not follow the approach did not show improvement. "What causes the sugar spikes is eating too many carbs," Sandra J. Arevalo, a New York-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News Digital. "Eating them alone makes it even worse," she cautioned. "When eating them together with protein and fiber, we are cushioning their effect by slowing their absorption." In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, meal sequencing may also assist with weight loss. Studies have shown that eating protein before refined carbs promotes the secretion of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from the gut, which delays gastric emptying and suppresses appetite. "When you eat other foods first — mainly fiber-rich foods — and then you drink water, the fiber from the foods helps you feel satisfied, thus decreasing your appetite," Arevalo told Fox News Digital. "And let's not forget that fiber also helps to reduce the absorption of sugar in the blood, helping to cushion your sugar levels." Complex carbohydrates — such as most vegetables, beans and legumes — are rich in fiber and slow to digest, which causes a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, according to the UCLA report. Refined carbohydrates — such as sugar, white rice and white flour — have higher glycemic levels, which are easier to break down and contribute to faster blood sugar spikes. As nutrition experts pointed out, eating fiber before refined carbohydrates can help slow the carbs' absorption, which helps blood sugar levels stay lower during digestion. To assist with healthier food choices and to monitor blood sugar levels after a meal, experts recommend using a food rating system called the glycemic index. This rating scale determines how quickly certain foods can cause blood sugars to rise and fall, according to the UCLA report. For those interested in trying meal sequencing, Susie laid out the following steps. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Start with eating non-starchy vegetables first, as the fiber slows digestion. Eat protein and healthy fats. This will promote feelings of fullness and slow glucose absorption. Eat the carbohydrates last, as this may lead to "lower glucose excursions," Susie said. For more Health articles, visit Everyone reacts differently to different meal plans, Arevelo noted. Both dietitians emphasized the importance of working with a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist who can help with planning balanced meals and monitoring blood sugar article source: Eating foods in this order could help with weight loss and blood sugar, experts say Solve the daily Crossword
